Randomized clinical simulation trial of a Google Glass telemedicine application to assist orotracheal intubation

Objective.

To assess the effect of a Google Glass telemedicine application to allow a medical expert to make corrections in simulated out-of-hospital intratracheal intubations performed by nurses.

Method.

Randomized clinical simulation trial designed by the Universidad Católica de Murcia between November 2014 and February 2015. Volunteer nurses from the emergency medicine service of Murcia, Spain, were randomized to an intervention group to simulate intubations with telemedicine assistance (n=25) or a control group that did not

receive assistance (n=25). The main outcome variable was satisfactory orotracheal intubation.

Results.

We observed statistically significant between-group differences in percentages of satisfactory intubation (telemedicine group, 96%, vs control group, 72%; P=.024) and time required to intubate the trachea (mean difference, 94.3 seconds, 95% CI, 40.7–147.9 seconds; P=.001).

Conclusions.

Telemedicine assistance from an expert by way of a Google Glass application improves the success rate and completion times of nurses performing out-of-hospital intratracheal intubations in clinical simulations.